Vol 1. Issue 1. Nov - Jan 2011
Royal Lifestyle CAPE TOWN CITY ASSEMBLY F0RWARD IN FAITH MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL
new
Understanding Vision Gives Pain a Purpose See your future
THE SEASON
ROYAL LIFESTYLE Vol 1. No 1. November-January 2011 Forward in Faith Ministries Cape Town City Assembly exists to preach the word of God and to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. ROYAL LIFESTYLE EDITORIAL PUBLISHER: Forward In Faith Ministries Cape Town City Assembly EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Wilson Manyonga TECHNICAL EDITORS: Rutendo Mtanga, Jaison Madume, Willie Siduna & Clemence Rusenga.
Contents 3 A New season, A New day...
4 Understanding the new season
6 See your future!
ADMINISTRATION & LOGISTICS Jameson Mtanga DESIGN & LAYOUT: Wilson Manyonga CONTRIBUTORS: Pastor Dan Zimuwandeyi, Elders Michael & Mercy Mazuruse, Willie Siduna, Ignatious Matimati, Tassius Chigariro, Dr Sandie Freed and Kris Vallotton.
8 How great thou art
10 Vision gives pain a purpose
Forward In Faith Ministries International Cape Town, City Assembly Mountain Road Primary School Woodstock We welcome articles, photographs and testimonies. FaithMedia however reserves the right to edit, amend articles to our publishing standards. We do not guarantee that your article, testimony or photography will be published. FORWARD SUBMISSIONS TO fif.faithmedia@gmail.com Royal Lifestyle is published quarterly by Forward In Faith Ministries Cape Town City Assembly. We want to hear what is on your mind! We welcome your feedback, prayer requests, testimonies,and concerns. Please write to us on fif.faithmedia@gmail.com Or, visit us on our Church Facebook Group, Forward In Faith Ministries Cape town City Assembly and post your feedback there.
11 Supporting business
12 World economics kingdom children should know.
14 Of leadership, vision and motives
A New Season,
A New Day
Our New Magazine It is with great excitement that we launch the first edition of our new quarterly magazine, Royal Lifestyle. This magazine is part of our strategy to “equip and empower the saints for the work of the ministry” by communicating a timely and relevant word that is both informative and inspiring for your edification. The magazine is supplemented by the Monthly Bulletin, our monthly newsletter. We aim to provide you with a word based content entrenched in biblical fundamentals and truths.
At City of Kings, the talk is “it’s a new season”. But the question is; do you know what the new season is all about? See in this magazine a clear explanation “understanding the new season” by our coordinating elders Michael and Mercy
The title, Royal Lifestyle was selected to mirror our beliefs that as children of God we are a royal priesthood, a chosen generation called forth to be Kings, to rule and have dominion and that although we are in this world we are not of this world. As such the principles that we enshrine and that guide us far supersede the standards of this world as is echoed in Romans12:2. In leading our walk with Christ we need to live “letting it be on earth as it is in heaven.”
Mazuruse. God has said that it is a new season through His prophets and all we need to do is to believe the words of the prophets. Get out of your unbelief and stop leaning on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Remember the Israelites
The theme for this edition is New Season and Vision. It is in this season that God is calling us to new levels, greater heights and depth in understanding His Kingdom. Our prayer is that you scale to great heights and reach the levels that God desires of you. We hope that you find this first edition both informative and inspiring and we welcome your feedback. Kind regards The FaithMedia Team
spent 40 years in the wilderness instead of 2-3 weeks because of their unbelief and disobedience. We are in a new season indeed, feel it and embrace it, it is here. As we journey in this new season we need to see things the way God sees them. Let’s be visionaries as kings and see ourselves as royal priests (1 Peter
From the Pastors and Elders of City Assembly
2:9 see article by Willie Siduna on leadership and vision) . We are children of the most high God so you cannot separate us from greatness (see article by our Pastor Dan Zimuwandeyi); neither can you separate us from finances. Silver and gold belong to God (Haggai 2:8) hence they belong to us. Are you prepared to manage the funds God is pouring in this new season? The articles by Elder Tassius Chigariro “Your get out of debt guide” and “Managing your finances” equip us with wisdom
Our God is an amazing and faithful God. He moves us from glory to glory indeed. We have had only a monthly bulletin and it has been our desire to launch a quarterly magazine. We see now the birth of this magazine, Royal Lifestyle. This is just but the beginning we are yet to see great things, (1 Corinthians 2:9) as City of Kings. Let all the glory be unto God.
on how to handle the finances. Saints let us experience great breakthroughs in the new season. Are you ready?
For the successful production of this magazine there are people behind the scenes, the FaithMedia Team. We appreciate your tireless efforts good people. No one has ever worked for God and went on unnoticed by Him. May God bless you abundantly. A magazine without articles is not a magazine. Hence our gratitude is extended to all who have contributed articles to the first edition of Royal Lifestyle magazine. We encourage all saints to share experiences with others through articles to be put into future editions. We do believe all saints have contributed to the ministry as a whole in one way or another. God bless you all for your unwavering support.
Do you have the right motive? (see Deacon Ignatius Matimati’s article). God said it, believe it and that settles it.
One may ask “why have a magazine?” The main objective of the Royal Lifestyle magazine is to positively affect lives, in all aspects, spiritually, emotionally, physically etc. It will also be a platform for nurturing talent as saints will be writing articles. We believe through this magazine saints will grow to know God better. We also aim to reach out to those not yet saved especially local people to join the Kingdom.
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Understanding The New Season By Elders Michael and Mercy Mazuruse The New Season has to do with God's timing and not man's. The Greek term for this timing or season is the word kairos (pronounced kaheeros) meaning convenient, due, proper or the fullness of time. It is the fullness of God's timing to do certain things and in our case it is a time to enjoy both spiritual and physical blessings. The new season has to do with new things – new spiritual experiences, new jobs, promotions, joy, exaltation etc.
This world knows four seasons – summer, autumn, winter and spring, during which people experience different weather conditions. As these seasons pass, people will anticipate a new season. If it is winter, many will anticipate it with dread because of the biting cold. If it is summer, people will be excited since they are free to be outdoors and go to the beach. Business will also be booming for most business people. The spirit world, vast as it is also has its seasons. For City Assembly, we are in a new Spiritual Season, a quite exciting season because of the innumerable benefits it brings.
“The New Season has to do with God's timing and not man's.” A season for a break through.... We are moving to another level
The New Season definitely has to go concurrently with the gospel of the Kingdom we have been learning all this while. It is this Kingdom gospel that unleashes the floodgates of heaven. Thus the New Season is facilitated by a thorough understanding of the Kingdom – otherwise the New Season could be new to others while the majority are wallowing in oldness and dryness. This New Season has to be believed and grasped, not mentally but spiritually. This idea of believing it and grasping it is crucial if we are to see or experience anything from God. It is possible to be in one room; with some people in that room having a very high spiritual experience while the rest in their fleshly thinking will be experiencing nothing. At one time, Ezekiel the prophet is sitting with the elders of Israel in Babylon. Then suddenly, he is taken to Israel and sees everything that is happening there yet all the other elders experienced nothing. The Bible in 2 Kings 7:1-20 tells of a drought in Israel and when God wants to end it, He sends His prophet Elisha to tell the King. If I were to paraphrase Elisha's words it would be something like, “Tomorrow, by this time God is unleashing a New Season. The time of suffering is gone. Food will be here in abundance”. The servant on whose shoulder the King leans chose not to believe the New Season. His mind is so set that he doubts God can do anything in such a tough time. The Bible admonishes us to believe in the Lord our God for us to be established and to believe His prophets for us to prosper (2 Chronicles 20:20b). The servant however chose to believe his senses. Elisha says to this unbelieving man, “Behold you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” As soon as the New Season sets in, the servant is overrun by it and he dies according to the Word of the Lord spoken by Elisha. Why the above example? Certain things, even if you do not understand them, as long as it is a credible man of God who has spoken, you better believe them. Most Spiritual things are spiritually discerned but even if you can't discern them, believe them. Israel hardened their hearts in the wilderness through unbelief and millions of them died in the wilderness. Your blessing is in the words of the man of God. Just believe the prophets and you shall prosper (2 Chronicles 20:20b). Most people's lives are miserable today because they question and doubt things they are not supposed to question and doubt. A few years back, Apostle E.H. Guti told the church to buy and stock up groceries because of a bad season that was to befall Zimbabwe. By then Zimbabwe was still the bread basket of Southern Africa. It never made sense to a lot of people but when the bad season came, people had no one to blame but themselves. Another example is John the Baptist who comes telling people to repent because a New Season was at hand - the first advent of Christ. John is the last Old Testament prophet but he has a New Testament revelation. He introduces the Kingdom (Matthew 3:1-2) and then identifies the King of the Kingdom (John 1v29). Surprisingly, when he is in prison he sends his disciples to ask, “Are you the one to come or shall we wait for another?”(Matthew 11v3). John pointedly says Jesus has come to increase and he must decrease. When the time for him to decrease comes he begins to doubt if Jesus is the real Messiah. John's ministry is over and it is now Jesus' time but John now in flesh fails to realise this.
Believe in the Lord God to be established and believe in His prophets to prosper... How many know that it is possible to “understand” when we are in church being preached to and we really feel this is the season we have been waiting for but when troubles come we completely begin to doubt everything, including the existence of God . At what level do we begin to believe God? When life is so good? When we are driving the latest Mercedes Benz? When we have money that answereth all? At what level exactly should we believe God? When the New Season is working for us? Did Abraham believe God when he saw Isaac or “against hope he believed in hope giving glory to God?” Faith is not about seeing (in the flesh of course). It is about believing without seeing and once we believe we will see it in the spirit. It will not remain in the spirit but will manifest in the flesh. Therefore whether something has manifested or not, just believe the word. The word is saying it is a New Season. Grasp it. Run with it. Do not doubt when things seem not to be working. Don't compare yourself to other people who seem to be making it. Praise God with them for their successes. Your time shall come. God does not need years to take you to another level. When His Kairos for you comes, what took other people ten years to achieve can only take you a month. He is God. No one can question His strategies. His unpredictability makes Him unique. A problem that always arises when God's blessing is mentioned is that of people who are so preoccupied with the physical. Their expectations are pinned on properties. The Bible says we are blessed with spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). I would rather be blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places because I know it will soon translate into the physical. I believe as much as people need a physical blessing, they must the more desire the spiritual. In 2 Kings 5, there is the story of Elisha and Gehazi. Elisha gets his anointing from Elijah after serving him faithfully. Elisha realises the spiritual in Elijah and goes for it. Gehazi on the other hand is preoccupied with properties – cars, houses, suits etc. He fails to get the spiritual though he is living with it and his end is miserable.
“... whether or not something has manifested or not just believe the word...”
Remember not to limit the new season to physical manifestations
There are people who have what I would like to call the 'Gehazi mentality'. They are seeking for things in this New Season. They even go an extra mile to get things through dubious means like Gehazi who had to lie to get clothes. For this season to work just be GOOD. Do not twist the arm of God to get things. Do not cheat and then come and testify about God's blessing. “The blessing of the Lord maketh rich and addeth no sorrow”. Do not go and borrow so as to bring a testimony because you will have sleepless nights wondering how you will settle your debts. Thus, I conclude by saying the New Season is here to stay. It is here to take us from one level of both spiritual and physical blessing to another. God's hands are outstretched to hand out packages. Reach out to God and grab that which is yours. If it is power gifts (gifts of healing, gift of faith and the gift of working miracles) grab it. If it is revelation gifts (word of knowledge, word of wisdom and discerning of spirits) go for it. If it is utterance gifts (prophecy, diversities of tongues and interpretation of tongues) snatch it. If it is deeper fellowship with God, go for it. If it is physical blessing, take it and begin to enjoy the doing of the Lord in your life. Remember not to limit the new season to physical manifestations though they are an integral part of the New Season. Bless God for it all. Indeed, it is a NEW SEASON. Be in it!!!
DID YOU KNOW? FIF Ministries City Assembly is now on Facebook; Join us and share with other saints For comments and feedback post your insightson our page or emailus at fif.faithmedia@gmail.com November- January 2011
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SEE YOUR FUTURE!
By Dr. Sandie Freed
The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.” Jeremiah 1:12(NIV) I am writing today to give you hope again! Though we are in the midst of much shaking, God has a divine plan for our future. Allow me to encourage you in the midst of change. In order to leave the past, there must be a shift. We are leaving an old season and shifting into a new season. God desires to give us prophetic insight to see our new season.
When the Lord revealed to Jeremiah his future and his time to shift into a new season, Jeremiah could not see it at first. God was prophetically calling him forth as a prophet and Jeremiah could only focus on his weaknesses. Isn't that like us- especially whenever we can't see? I love God's persistence with Jeremiah. No matter what excuses Jeremiah gave God concerning his calling and his new season, God continued to speak to Jeremiah's potential. Maybe you can relate to my recent experiences. God has been speaking to me about advancement and I've been very consumed with excuses. My excuse is, "It's too hard! I can't move forward. My past season was too difficult. How can I possibly move forward into a new season? Sure, I want a new season, but promise me first it will be easier!” Unfortunately, the Lord did not answer with "(Sandie,) The next season will be a breeze...you'll see; it will be easy this time." Nope. Nada. Instead, I got the same word that Israel did when they complained.... “For this commandment which I command you this day is not too difficult for you...” Deuteronomy 30: 11 (AMP) I quickly grabbed my Bible after I heard this Word again today and I was reminded that the breakthrough is in my own mouth! Yes! Read what the Lord said to Israel: “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your mind and in your heart, so that you can do it” Deuteronomy 30:14 (AMP) The Lord is saying the same to you and me! He is saying the word of breakthrough for your new season is in your own mouth, in your mind and in your heart so that you can do it! Yes, Beloved, you can do it! Do what? All that He is commanding! Wow, isn't that encouraging?
God is Going to Touch Our Mouths The Lord had to touch Jeremiah's mouth so that he had a good confession concerning his future.
Then the LORD put forth his Hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, “Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth” Jeremiah 1:9 (KJV). Believers, the Lord is stretching forth His hand and touching our mouths and putting His words in our mouths. He is not going to open up doors to our future without His supernatural empowerment. The word touch in this passage implies a supernatural bestowment of divine grace and help. The Lord desires that we have the God kind of faith- which is faith like His! To move forward into our new season will require that we develop faith for more of His grace. God is imparting grace to whatever weakness we believe that we have which keeps us from moving forward. Jeremiah told God that his weakness was not being one of eloquent speech. Jeremiah did not believe he was mature enough or eloquent enough to speak for God. Therefore, by touching Jeremiah's weak area, God imparted a divine grace which overrode Jeremiah's weakness. Believers, God is doing the same for us so that we can fully shift into our next season! Dear ones, God believes in us and He is promising that if we will have faith in His divine empowerment, He will provide what is needed for us to fulfil our future. We are not alone in our walk. God promises to go before us and defeat our enemies, plus all the while He walks beside us- constantly encouraging us each day. Each new day is fresh and we can receive fresh grace. When Satan lies to us and says that we are neither equipped nor anointed, we can believe God for grace to touch the area in which we feel weak.
“You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled ...” Jer 1:9-12
Being Overshadowed Each day we can become overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and conceive our potential. Just as Mary was overshadowed, she also conceived. When Gabriel announced that she was to birth the Son of God she said, "Be it unto me according to thy word." (Luke 1:38. God touched any doubt and unbelief she had and then imparted a supernatural grace to empower her for her future. The Holy Spirit is teaching us as we shift into every new season. He is promising to equip us for our future. Plus, just as He promised to be watching over His promises to Jeremiah, He will be watching over our promises also! The LORD said to me, 'You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.' Jeremiah 1:12 (NIV) When the Lord says He will watch over what He has promised, He is explaining His faithfulness. I tell people that God is back from the future - meaning that He has gone into our future, witnessed the fulfilment of our promise and then comes back to NOW to encourage us with a present-day word. The word watch in this passage is the Hebrew word shaqad which means “to be alert, keep watch of and be wakeful over.” The same word for watch is the same Hebrew word used for "almond blossoms." After the Lord put His words in Jeremiah's mouth, He asked Him once more, "What do you see?" Finally, Jeremiah did not answer with another excuse (or infer to God..."It's too difficult"), but said, “I see an almond branch budding.” (See Jeremiah 1:10)There is tremendous significance in this passage. Let's read it more thoroughly together and please pay attention to Jeremiah's shift in an ability to see his future. Remember now, before this passage Jeremiah could only focus on his weaknesses. Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ''Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.'' The word of the LORD came to me: ''What do you see, Jeremiah?'’ ''I see the branch of an almond tree,'' I replied. The LORD said to me,''You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.'' Jeremiah 1:9 -12 (NIV)
Jeremiah's Shift Finally, Jeremiah saw what God saw! After imparting grace to his weakness, Jeremiah was able to see his future. Beloved, if we receive His grace, our eyes will also be open to see what God sees concerning our ability. Interestingly, Jeremiah was able to see "the branch of an almond tree." Remember, the word used for almond tree is the same Hebrew word, shaqad, which is also the word used for "watching." Shaqad is further translated to imply "the awakening one." The almond tree had blossom cups that are shaped like almonds and are the first to bud forth in its new season. One might say that the almond tree "awakens" to its new season. Jeremiah was "awakened" to his new season. He received grace to fulfil his divine calling and then was awakened to his future. To become "awakened" means to open our eyes and see. Beloved, receive fresh grace and become awakened to your new season. There is faith being imparted from heaven for you to fulfil your destiny. When the Lord promises to watch over your promises, He is also committing to "protect" what He has promised. This means He will go to war for you and guard your potential. He promises to give His angels charge over us to protect us and keep us from harm. Just as He provided for Israel a cloud by day and fire by night, He will do the same for us as He leads, guides and protects us.
See Your Future! Beloved, it is time to see your future. You can fulfil your divine destiny. The book Destiny Thieves: Defeat Seducing Spirits and Achieve Your Purposes in God is devoted to discussing our ability to conceive our future and fulfil divine potential. This particular book exposes the seductions of the enemy and how he attempts to abort our future. One of the evil spirits that steals destiny is the Amalekite spirit. It not only aborts destiny, but also targets leaders and those who are called to hold up their arms. This book will empower you to see your future and possess it! Now, dear believer.......Shift S ee H im I nstead of F ear and T error.
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How Great Thou art Of Greatness & wisdom... Realise Your Potential Pastor Dan Zimuwandeyi
The word great according to the Oxford Dictionary means distinguished, important, mighty, remarkable in ability and character. Greatness is then the quality of being great which is definite and identifiable. Hence, the greatness of any individual can be seen and people can relate to it. Famous men can be compared, but never great men, because every man is great in his own respect. This is because the greatness of each individual is seen according to the vision given to him by God. Some critical questions would then be what is the source of greatness or what makes other man to be great and others to pass through the earth unnoticed? A possible answer is in the quote "When we see great men coming from the same family it does not mean that it can be inherited like possessions, all it means is that the way to greatness which is humility (serving) has been learnt from generation to generation." We will try to illustrate this point by an example from the Bible. We know that David was a great king and that his son Solomon was not only great but he was wise as well. However, Solomon's son Rehoboam was not a great king and he is not recorded as such in the Bible. Solomon understood that although his father had been a great king he could not inherit that greatness and so his kingship could not be based on the success of David. He then asked God for the thing that brings about greatness, wisdom according to 1Kings 3:9. "Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?" This wisdom was to serve/rule. The greatness of a king is seen in the lives of servants, therefore kingship is all about servanthood. Rehoboam also realised that there was need for wisdom in order for one to maintain and rule a Kingdom. However, he sought wisdom from the wrong source according to 1Kings 12:8 "But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him". He refused wisdom from the men who had served his father, men with heavenly wisdom and instead opted for wisdom from the world. His error was trying to be great in a Godly Kingdom using earthly wisdom. The comparison of Solomon and Rehoboam made above then leads us to the realization that there are two sources of wisdom, one is Earthly and the other is Heavenly. The earthly wisdom is based on selfish ambition and attainment of personal goals. "Ambitious men will do everything to attain their goals even if it means stepping on other people." Ambition and its source are exposed in James 3:14 "But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish."
On the other hand Heavenly wisdom is based on serving, Solomon asked first for the ability to be able to lead his people which is servanthood. The aspect of serving puts God first before the people and your own desires. This type of wisdom is illustrated in James 3:17, " But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” There are quite a number of examples of great men in the bible who achieved great things through the servant leadership. Jesus Christ started his ministry with only twelve devote disciples but yet over 2000 years latter the church is still growing and he now has the biggest following ever assigned to any individual. Though he was the master he took time to wash the feet of his disciples according to John 13:5. "After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded." Jesus is the greatest evangelist of all time in that his ministry still continues to grow even in the present time. Apostle Paul is also a great man of God who knew that the source of greatness was God and at many times would ask for the prayers of the Church of God for him as in 1Thessalonians 5:25, "Brethren, pray for us." Some argue that Paul was the greatest apostle of his time and did mighty works being greatly used of God because of his humility.
"Great men live even after they are gone ... their results continue to grow."
In our current times there are several great men that God has raised up and one such man is Apostle E.H Guti. This man started a ministry from the simple words given to him by God "fear not sin not". Today ZAOGA FIF has a presence all over the world because of a man who chose to hear the voice of God and thus based his vision on Heavenly wisdom. This means that "Great men live even after they are gone and their results continue to grow." We then have to ask ourselves how we can be great in our own time and leave a footprint that will be talked about through eternity. The first thing that we need as individuals is a vision. It is important to note that a vision is received and that it came before you. God says to Jeremiah "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations" Jeremiah 1:5. This means then that what gave birth to Jeremiah was the vision God had of him as a result you must become the servant of your vision. It was after God had created everything that he then created man. In other words man was created to become a servant of the vision God had given to him in creation. The biggest factor to achieving greatness is the desire to serve rather than having selfish motives. Paul alludes to this fact in his letter to the Phillipians as he mentions that not all people were like minded to him in the Spirit of serving "But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's," Phillipians 2:19-21. We see from this scripture that Timothy would look after the people and would not leave them for some selfish ambitions. We have already shown that in order to be great you need wisdom. As a believer you must know that a relationship with God is the basis to getting wisdom according to Proverbs 2:6. "For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." We also get wisdom from identifying and learning from other great man according to Proverbs 13:20, "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise…." So all you need to be great is a vision and to have the wisdom to operate in the vision. A man is carried by his vision: it gives him the strength to go on in the face of adversity. It gives him hope in hopeless situations and it is the driving force of his motives. Check around you, in your neighbourhood and in your family, how best can you help society today? In what way can you impact the lives of people and bring about change in this generation? We close with a quote from Henry Drummond, "You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others." God bless you.
“ Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth its fruit in season; its leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he doeth shall prosper.”
Pastor Dan Zimuwandeyi is the resident pastor at City Assembly ,Cape Town he can be reached at +27731701167 or +27216332551
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Vision gives Pain A Purpose By Kris Vallotton An excerpt from Kris Vallotton's upcoming book, Heavy Rain. Watch for more news about the January 2011 release!
I am building a wall. That's what I am doing.”
Of course, I am not saying that if you imagine a pink elephant you are going to give birth to it. I am simply trying to demonstrate the supernatural principle of envisioning. The New Age movement has been teaching this for years, which has led many Christian leaders to think that the idea is from hell. But the truth is that they are stealing our stuff, and by reacting to them we have lost the creative power of visioneering.
Finally, the inquisitive onlooker approached the last mason, finding him hard at work briskly laying bricks with exceptional excellence and speed. “Mister, could I trouble you with a question? What is it that you are doing?” the man asked in admiration.
Okay, now let me be a little more pragmatic for a moment. This supernatural principle basically works like this: When we imagine something in our mind's eye, a phenomenon occurs in our spirits that causes us to want to see with our natural eyes what we perceived in our hearts. Michelangelo put it like this: “I saw the angel in the marble and I carved to set it free.” He looked at a boulder with his natural eyes and with his imagination he pictured an angel imprisoned in the stone. This motivated him to relentlessly chip away at the rock until he could view on the outside what he imagined on the inside. When people envision something (especially something from God), it creates a naturally supernatural impetus to apprehend the vision and see it fulfilled, built, funded, and otherwise realized.
Still hard at work, the bricklayer answered, “I am building a great cathedral for God.” Which mason would you want working for you?
Solomon said, “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained (wander aimlessly), but happy is he who keeps the law” (Proverbs 29:18, NASB). The King James Version says it this way: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” When people lack vision, they lead unrestrained lives. Their life's motivation is reduced to staying out of pain or finding pleasure. This may seem like Easy Street, but it is actually the path to a mundane, boring existence, which ultimately undermines God's divine destiny in their lives. As Helen Keller, who was born blind, said, “It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision.” But when people catch a vision, they will “keep the law;” in other words, they will restrain their options to apprehend their vision. Vision not only gives focused energy that empowers us to say no to certain things and yes to others; it also gives us the courage to endure difficulties in the path to our destiny. Here is an example: An overweight person goes to the gym to get in shape. But the morning after his first workout, he is so sore that he can hardly get out of bed. If he has a vision (he can picture himself with a great body), that vision will give his pain a purpose. It's vision that causes a person to restrain his eating, reorder his schedule, and push past the discomfort of muscle pain to obtain his goal. On the other hand, it is very difficult to get skinny by hating being fat, because reacting to a negative rarely creates a positive.
“Envision the future...”
Vision is the invisible manager that guides, encourages, and inspires fervent souls undertaking the Master's supernatural assignment to prepare the planet for His re-entry. When I see saints exercising enormous self-control, showing great courage in overcoming difficulties, and demonstrating excellence in their divine assignments, I know it means that they have captured a vision for their lives. I am reminded of the old fable of the three bricklayers all working on the same long wall. Someone came up to the first man laying bricks and asked, “Sir, may I ask what you are doing?” “I am laying bricks,” he snapped sarcastically. “What does it look like I am doing?” The man approached the second bricklayer and asked, “What are you doing?” “
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World Economics Kingdom Children should know ElderTassius Chigariro This short article aims to highlight some ideas ranging from how to manage your money and dealing with or avoiding debt and how to invest your money. It furthers seeks to help the children of God through empowering them with the financial management knowledge that we all needfor different reasons such as establishing and running a business enterprise, personal upkeep and a stable home as far as finances are concerned. It will address how one can manage his/her finances and dealing debts.
Your get out of debt guide
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roverbs 22:7 says “Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is a servant to the lender”. Paul in his letter to the church at Rome flatly tells them "Owe no man anything." (Romans 13:8) . Like everything else, it is better to avoid getting into debt than trying to come out of debt, (prevention is better than cure!).The unfortunate mishap is that most people do not own their cars, their furniture, and not even their clothes. To own does not mean being a steward, keeping the cars and the clothes at your house does not mean that you own them. Whose name is on the title deeds? The bank! Does peer pressure drive you to get into credit…and do you think it has paid off? Chika Onyeani an author wrote in his book and I quote “The road to success asserts that the black race is a consumer and not a productive race”. I would not want this to be applicable to me or any of my fellow black brothers and sisters, but you have to agree that to some extent it is true. We so much want to be better than the other brother or sister and we like to show how better we are by the clothes we wear and the cars we drive. This culture wants the world to see how much we have spent (consumer) not how much we have produced. The author goes on to say "We've become a sheep-like consumer race that depends on other communities for our culture, language, feeding, and clothing”. It is amazing to think how the African culture is disappearing with all of us trying to look western in the way we speak, eat or dress. How many times have you been asked this question, 'what kind of loan payments are you looking for'? Or 'how much can you afford a month'? If you ever answer this question, you just cost yourself a lot of money. We will always be financially better if we save to buy an asset rather than borrow
“Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is a servant to the lender”
If you take a loan to buy a car for 100 000, you will pay roughly 2 500 per month for 48 months. That's a 4 year loan at 10% interest rates. When the loan is fully paid you receive ownership of the car, but the value of that car 4 years later would be about 50 000. A person who rather decided not to buy the car but invested the money at 5% interest would have a balance of over 130 000. There is an 80 000 difference in wealth between these two people or in other words, having this car has cost the person 80 000. So before you buy a car, ask yourself the question, is the utility you derive from having the car worth the money you will spend? I am not saying do not buy cars, how you buy your car can save you or cost you money. If your friend bought a car for 100 000 and paying 2 500 a month, and you feel you want to be like them, I recommend you pretend to be them for 6 months and start paying 2 500 a month into a savings account but without a car yet. After 6 months you have 15 000, then pay a deposit for the same car with a loan of 85 000 and continue paying 2 500 a month this time towards the loan. By choosing to have your car 6 months later you finish your loan 8 months earlier than your friend. If you are even patient enough to have the car 1 year later, you will finish paying for your car nearly 1 and a half years earlier than your friend. Remember, during the waiting period you need to be saving the 2 500 per month. In the end you save yourself months of paying interest, just by being clever. The debt snowball effect is used to refer to the momentum or desire that one builds to become debt free. The reference comes from a snow ball that picks up more snow and getting bigger as it rolls. Say you have 5 loans, over and above the minimum payments required on all the loans, pay any excess money that you have towards the smallest loan.
Your get out of debt giude - continued The aim is to get rid of the smallest loan as quickly as possible and move onto the next one in line. As you get rid of the small loans you build the momentum to reduce from five to four to three to two to one and to zero loans and soon debt free and your financial freedom. Mathematically, it would make more sense to pay off the bigger loan with the highest interest first. However, the debt snowball wants to capitalize on passion and focus, and not math sense.
Managing your finances Good management of finances is an important aspect of every home life. It contributes to the stability of the family and enhances the love in the house. As you know, finances play an important role in our relationships and in our marriages. Money is required for lots of things, we need it when getting married and when we plan our weddings. I do not need to remind you how much more we need the money when we have already established our families. For instance, generally women like to have security at home materially. This should not be taken to underestimate their love because they are great lovers as you know. It is against this backdrop that the idea of an emergency fund at home is important as it offers security. A message I have to married men is, when you have an emergency fund, your wife feels relaxed, and a relaxed wife is a beautiful wife. We can not buy insurance for everything because insurance costs us money. For those things we do not buy insurance for, we should practise self-insurance. However, many people when they choose not to insure, very rarely do they store the premiums, rather they spend them on other things, like a new pair of shoes. Self insurance is keeping the premiums and let them build up for future financial needs, and these needs are certain to come by, even though when and how big you may never know. This pot of premiums is what I refer to as the emergency fund . Sometimes in life a saver marries a spender. How ironic, they say opposites attract. Regardless of that, the two should nevertheless find a common ground when managing their finances, for it is to their common good. For instance, when it comes to buying an item, to men it is a task that needs to be completed whereas to women it a process that could last a while. Men prefer doing their research beforehand and go straight to the place to purchase or negotiate a better deal. Women rather prefer to go out to hunt for the best deal and moving through all the shops. God made us different and we have room to accommodate each other, and complement our strengths as that is the means towards success. The number one cause of divorce is money related. This may seem contrary to a large number of researches that concluded that the number one cause of divorce was lack of communication. I believe that the truth is lack of communication about money. There is usually one partner who has a number of theories on money issues, this partner should draft an initial budget but should always let the other partner freely make changes to the budget. For single persons, always have an accountability partner for your finances and this should not be your 'shopping partner' but rather someone who will look at things objectively. We should teach our children to think in terms of commissions and not allowances. We should teach them to work get paid, do not work -do not get paid. Children need the character to handle or carry wealth, otherwise it will ruin them. Proverbs 22:6 says “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” They should understand that money is finite it just doe not appear on your ATM card. When they are adults, they will not have the mentality of going out shopping just because they are stressed. Teach them the four principles of money: Work, Save, Spend and Give. Kids need to have envelopes at home, each for Saving, Giving and Spending. The bible says a godly man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, not just money but also character. Warren Buffet is a famous man in the world of investments, he said: “Give your children enough money that they can do anything…but not enough such that they can do nothing.”
November- January 2011
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Of Leadership and vision By Willie Siduna
The word “leadership” is mostly associated with influencing people towards a common vision and goal. Leadership therefore involves the creation of a clear sense of direction and a common sense of purpose towards a predetermined goal. Leaders begin with the end in mind, or in other words they begin the journey with a specific goal.
In his closing speech at the Jubilee Celebration the Man of God Apostle Guti said, “We are entering into another 50 years, I will be with you for some time and then will leave you after a while.” This shows we are entering into another season after the first 50 years and now is the time to sow our seeds and ensure we get our harvest. Had it not been that the Apostle prepared his soil and followed the seasons and continued to sow and reap, would we have all the fruits of FIF we see today? New season is therefore not just about proclaiming it but taking deliberate action towards the harvest lest the season passes us by without us even noticing it.
s leaders we ought to use our mind's creative ability and the power of the tongue to steer the course of our lives. It is with the tongue that the Lord framed the world and we have the same power within us to determine our life course and steer towards our predetermined goals and aspirations.
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A very important aspect about seasons is that they slowly slip away, at times with us too busy to notice it. Therefore let us not procrastinate. The bible says in Proverbs 18:9, “One who is loose and slack in his work is a brother to him who is a destroyer.” Not acting and not doing what we are supposed to be doing at the moment is just the same as being destroyers.
As we journey, we should be aware of the fact that the journey has got several stages which can be likened to seasons. A new season comes with new provisions and new rains, signifying the end of another season and the beginning of a new one. The word 'season' is famous amongst farmers where the dawn of a new season calls for preparation of the fields for the rains, sowing or harvesting. Is your field ploughed and prepared for the rains, have you prepared a schedule of how you will work out your field in this season? In a similar fashion, farmers plan their sowing dates, they know when their seeds will germinate, when to weed their crop, spray it and harvest it and they plan accordingly. What are we doing to prepare ourselves for the coming season?
In conclusion, let me pose this set of questions to you. In your personal life do you have a 5 year plan, 10 year plan 20 year plan or 50 year plan? In as much as you have the plans, what actions are you taking towards them? Such is the way leaders operate. Start with where you want to reach then embark on the journey. Wishing you every success in this new season.
Just like farmers, ants are aware of the presence of seasons. Though they have no leader, ants store up food for the dry season (Proverbs 6:6-8). Proverbs 20:4 says, “The sluggard does not plough when winter sets in; therefore he begs in harvest and has nothing.” It naturally follows that if we do not get a deeper understanding and fellowship with the Father in this new season of blessings, then we should not expect to harvest when harvest time comes. Proverbs 28:19 says, “He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread.” The concept of season applies to each and every one of us as believers. What are we doing today so that we will not be found wanting when harvest time comes? Jesus was so observant of seasons. When the time for him to be crucified came, he was well prepared. He was prayed up and He managed to conquer death. He had sown His seed in time and did not miss the season.
Taking the lead... A step in the right direction
The right motive By Ignatious Matimati
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otive can be defined as something that causes a person to act in a certain way, do a certain thing, or an incentive. It is the goal or object of a person's actions. Our actions and the manner in which we act are primarily driven by our motives. I have learnt over time that our motives tend to be influenced by our immediate environment, such as our colleagues, workmates, fellow believers and on-lookers. We all instinctively want to be liked. From the time we're born we want approval and attention. Little children unashamedly say, “Watch me, Daddy!” “Look at me, Mommy!” Teenagers want more than anything to be popular. They are careful to dress, talk, and act in whatever fashion is acceptable among their friends or peers. Such goals or objects of our actions can be bad (bad motive) or good (right motive). This article reminds us that in whatever we do as Kingdom Citizens, our motives are more important than the actual actions, because God sees the motive or condition of the heart . 1Samuel 16:7 says, But the LORD said unto Samuel, “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” The background to verse 7 is that God had instructed Samuel to go and anoint a king amongst the sons of Jesse (1Samuel 16:1). When Samuel saw the stature of Eliab, he said surely the Lord's anointed is here. But from 1Samuel 16:7, God teaches us a key fact about His character. He is God that looketh at the heart. Unlike God, man focuses on the outward image, even if it endangers the spirit man, just to enhance a good feeling or image before peers. From the story of the call of David, we learn that though he was a mere shepherd, God saw a man after His own heart. Tens of intimate psalms of worship to God testify the condition of David's heart. I believe he had a motive that sought God's glory during his ministry as King of Israel. Acts 13:22 says, “……. he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.” If we truly believe that God looks on the heart rather than on the outward appearance, it is essential that our service should be inspired by right motives. I will use just a few New Testament teachings by Jesus Christ on motives. Matthew 6:1-4 teaches us to be careful when and where we do our acts of service. Verse 1 says “Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” First of all we see from this passage that acts of service or good works, whether it is giving money or service, is not optional it is mandatory. Jesus says it four times, “Do your acts of righteousness.” On the contrary, He focused on the spirit with which the acts of service were done. In Mark 12:41-42, The wealthy donors in the temple treasury with their apparently generous gifts excited the interest of the onlookers. But the Lord Jesus was not impressed by the men of wealth, for he was watching a poor widow whose two cents meant infinitely more to God than the pretentious giving of the Pharisees. It was not the size of the gift that counted, but rather the attitude of love which inspired it. Mathew 6:2 says, “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by men. I tell you the truth; they have received their reward in full.” Jesus calls those who do good things with selfish intentions hypocrites. Mathew 6:5 says, “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.” What are our motives when we give a testimony? Is it to let people know of our recent achievements, or to let others know that our God is able to do great things? Is it still a testimony if it fails to glorify God? How many times have we hugged, smiled or even helped a person whom we don't truly love whole-heartedly, just because as Christians we are expected to do so? Motives do not only affect “acts of righteousness”, but even spiritual matters. How many times have we given inadequate tithes because we just want our names to appear in the secretary's books? What are our motives when we pray, and fast? Is it to go and demonstrate to others the Power of God, when we are not fully soaked and transformed in the very same power that we proclaim? Do we fast and pray so that others proclaim that we are “prayer warriors”, whilst neglecting quality fellowship with the Holy Spirit, out of a pure conscience. There are many areas that need to be checked. It is high time that we test out our motives as individuals. By the way, bad motives when neglected can drive us into “Pentecostal Pharisees”, who are 'born again' but not repented. In a nutshell, let the motives of our actions focus on giving all the glory to God whilst being centered on love. Let us recollect, analyse and guard our motives.
November- January 2011
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NURTURING
EMPOWERING
EQUIPPING
Wishing all saints a happy festive season
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